Life feels large lately. Systems lie and tell us we’re not enough. At the same time, I believe we have far more capacity than we tell ourselves. Instead of feeding into the lie, I’m living my values through doing the hardest, best thing of all: Embracing myself. Inaction causes more internal turmoil. Self-esteem comes from…
Author: KaylieLongley
Intersection: Express and Energy
I’m an empath. Those hills? I’ll die on almost all of ’em. Choosing when to express opinions and beliefs is a new practice. What has the most impact? Which experiences are worth sharing? How do I know I’ve made a difference? These are not new questions. Framed from empathy, my values of compassion and zeal…
Goals Progress Report: Marathon!
My partner and I are going to run a marathon! It’ll be his 4th, and my 1st. It’s a blast having a partnership fueled by shared values. The first step is signing up. Tonight, we did just that. We’re doing one weeks before my birthday! That’s right in time for my goal, running a full…
What pneumonia and EpiPens showed me about self-advocacy and justice
Self-advocacy is seldom linear. It’s receiving a seemingly piece of junk mail, and instead of stacking it away into smithereens, opening it, and mercy upon mercy, there’s a reveal of money owed to the recipient. From something opted into, years ago. I participated in the People vs. Mylan many moons ago, when I was under-earning….
Intersection: Truth and Transitions
I’m sitting in my charging car, sipping on spicy soup, and preparing for therapy. The library, my home branch where I normally work, is less than a mile away. And yet I’ve carved a little slice of serenity here. In these moments, where processing leads to reflecting, I choose quiet. Truth comes from the listening,…
Goal Progress Report: Book Writing
I’ve been writing about writing for years. This is thanks in part to childhood dreams of seeing my name on a spine. Particularly, I dreamt of finding myself within the library. (And I did, in others’ imagined tales.) I’ve approximated my goal of seeing my name on the page a handful of times. With published…
Starting and Ending Projects
2 of my creative goals are heavy: Start a podcast and finish my book draft. Why do they feel like this is so much? Putting undue pressure on creative work is not the point of creating. However, a continual inspiration system is not sustainable, if the goal is always output. Feeling like things are perfect…
Intersection: Novelty and Routine
Adventure is out there! proclaims my newly beaded bracelet. The handle for my Instagram is “Kaylie Adventures”. Life lately. It truly has been an adventurous few months. Moving in with my partner, exploring CA and WI in new ways, test-driving an EV for the first time and buying it the same day, and becoming a…
Goal Progress Report: Celebrating Boundaries
I set 15 goals in 2026, 3 for each of my behavioral values of creating, exploring, learning, moving, and serving. You can explore my 2026 goals here. “Celebrate healthy boundaries” is one of my three service-based goals this year. Creating healthy boundaries is essential, but I did not know how to set them or why…
Exploring without Technology: Be a Tourist in your Town
Last Saturday, an anticipated 60-minute hike morphed into three hours. Having an unexpected day off, I went on a run that morning, did chores, and then considered thrifting. The sun still shining (thank you, Colorado!), I instead chose a new-to-me trail. Despite its proximity to my new neighborhood, I stumbled upon the space. With a…